Readings for today: 2 Kings 24-25, 2 Chronicles 36:1-21, Jeremiah 52
There does come an end to God’s patience. A point at which God simply withdraws His protective hand and turns us over to the consequences for our sinful decisions. I’ve seen it happen over and over again in people’s lives. They come to me at the end of their rope. Their life in tatters. The cascading consequences of their decisions an overwhelming flood. They are finally broken. They’ve hit rock bottom. God has brought them to the end of themselves and their resources and they have nowhere left to turn. As I listen to their stories, I often see where God gave them opportunity after opportunity to turn from their sin. To make godly decisions. To make good choices. Instead, they kept trying to do things their own way. It never works out. Our sin always catches up to us. It creates anxiety and fear. It creates addiction and compulsive behaviors. It results in all kinds of brokenness and heartbreak and pain.
What happens to us individually can also happen to us corporately. The end of the southern kingdom of Judah is a perfect illustration. For generations, God allowed the sins of His people to stack up. He offered them mercy and showed them kindness but they repaid Him with rebellion. They refused to listen to His commands. They refused to worship God as He deserved. Their nation became corrupt and oppressive, full of injustice, violence, and greed. God did His best to warn them. He sent them prophet after prophet. He spoke to king after king. But their downward spiral could not be arrested. Finally, God had had enough. “The Lord God of their ancestors continually warned them through his messengers, for he felt compassion for his people and his dwelling place. But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his warnings, and ridiculed his prophets. Finally the Lord got very angry at his people and there was no one who could prevent his judgment.” (2 Chronicles 36:15-16 NET) What a statement! There was no one who could prevent His judgment. No one righteous enough to stand in the gap like Moses once did. No one godly enough to fall on his knees and intercede as Samuel and Elijah once did. No one humble enough to lead God’s people back to the Lord as Hezekiah and Josiah once did. So God simply stepped back. He withdrew His hand. The Babylonians came in. Destroyed the city. Massacred the people. Executed the kings family in front of his eyes and then blinded him so it would be the last thing he would ever see.
If you are like me, you have loved ones who are lost. Loved ones who do not know God. Loved ones living in rebellion against God. It’s heartbreaking to watch. You know it won’t end well. You know they are inviting all kinds of pain and suffering into their life. And you may, like me, feel so helpless to prevent it. Here’s the reality. You are. We can’t make decisions for anyone but ourselves. At the same time, we can pray for them. We can wait on God to reveal Himself to them. And we can ask God to make us an instrument of His grace and peace and love in their lives so that when they do finally fall, they might turn to us for help. This is certainly my prayer for those I love in my own family and those I serve in our church family. Make it your prayer as well.
Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 41-44